Top 10 Best Movie and TV Narrators

A majestic, disembodied voice dropping from the heavens is sometimes the only thing rescuing a tangled storyline from complete ruin. These invisible guides work absolute miracles. They inject profound gravitas into footage of waddling penguins and slap a thick coat of snark onto bizarre sitcoms.

A brilliant storyteller grabs a basic script and wrestles it into pure auditory gold. Vote for the vocal powerhouses who step into the recording booth and turn boring exposition into unforgettable magic.

1. Morgan Freeman

   

   Known for his distinctive deep voice, this actor delivered the narration for the wildlife documentary film March of the Penguins. He also supplied the voiceover work for the science television series Through the Wormhole, which explored various cosmological and physical topics.

2. David Attenborough

   

   This British broadcaster has spent decades writing and presenting natural history programs for the BBC, including the Planet Earth television series. His vocal performances have guided viewers through numerous explorations of global wildlife and environmental conservation efforts.

3. Rod Serling

   

   As the creator and host of The Twilight Zone, he delivered both the opening and closing monologues for nearly every episode of the science fiction anthology. He later performed similar hosting duties for the supernatural television series Night Gallery.

4. Alec Baldwin

   

   Between 1998 and 2003, this actor served as the American narrator for the children's television show Thomas & Friends. He also lent his voice to Wes Anderson's comedy-drama film The Royal Tenenbaums, reading the framing story for the movie.

5. Keith David

   

   He frequently collaborates with filmmaker Ken Burns as a voice actor, recording the audio for comprehensive historical documentaries such as The War and Jazz. His extensive career also includes reading the script for the A&E television series City Confidential.

6. Stephen Fry

   

   This British actor provided the English commentary for the wildlife documentary series Ocean Giants, which detailed the lives of whales and dolphins. He also voiced the narrator character in the animated television program Pocoyo during its initial two seasons.

7. Samuel L. Jackson

   

   In 2016, he recorded the voiceover for the documentary film I Am Not Your Negro, which is based on James Baldwin's unfinished manuscript. He also read the script for the comedy film Farce of the Penguins, a direct parody of traditional nature documentaries.

8. Barack Obama

   

   The former President of the United States spoke the narration for the five-part Netflix documentary series Our Great National Parks, highlighting protected natural spaces across the globe. He earned a Primetime Emmy Award for his vocal contributions to this nature program.

9. Alan Rickman

   

   This English actor narrated the 2011 animated short film The Boy in the Bubble. He also provided the dialogue for the pessimistic robot Marvin in the film adaptation of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy.

10. Jacques Cousteau

    

    This French oceanographer co-created and hosted the pioneering documentary television series The Undersea World of Jacques Cousteau. He also co-directed and supplied the English translation narration for the documentary film The Silent World.

The Newcomers
11. ?

    Rainn Wilson

    
12. ?

    David McCullough

    Ken Burns chose this author to narrate his nine-part documentary miniseries The Civil War. Beyond his extensive television work, he supplied the spoken background for the 2003 biographical sports film Seabiscuit, establishing the historical context surrounding the racehorse.

The Contenders

13. Peter Coyote

    He has voiced numerous documentaries directed by Ken Burns, including The Roosevelts: An Intimate History and The Vietnam War. He also acted as the narrator for the documentary film Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room.

    How is this man not in the top 5, or at least the top 10? Ken Burns, anyone? And where is David McCullough?

14. Whoopi Goldberg

    

    She served as the storyteller for the true crime documentary series The Con, broadcast on ABC. This EGOT-winning powerhouse has also lent her vocal talents to narrate heavy-hitting historical documentaries like Unchained Memories.

15. Patrick Stewart

    

    This actor lent his voice as the narrator for the British release of the nature documentary Earth. He also recorded the opening monologue for the fantasy comedy film Ted and its subsequent sequel.

16. Jeremy Irons

    

    He earned a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Voice-Over Performance for voicing Siegfried Sassoon in the comprehensive documentary series The Great War and the Shaping of the 20th Century. Additionally, he supplied the voiceover for the wildlife documentary Eye of the Leopard, examining the lives of big cats in the wild.

17. Lars Mikkelsen

    

    This Danish actor was cast as the narrator for the historical docudrama series Historien om Danmark. He also delivered the spoken word for the nature documentary series Wild and Wonderful Denmark.

18. Liev Schreiber

    

    This actor has lent his voice to numerous HBO sports documentaries including the 24/7 franchise. He additionally provided the spoken track for the PBS science series Nova and several historical television specials.

19. Angela Bassett

    

    The actress provided the voiceover for the National Geographic docuseries Queens focusing on matriarchal animal societies. She previously narrated the documentary Good Night Oppy about the Mars exploration rovers.

20. Tom Hanks

    

    This two-time Academy Award winner served as the narrator for the historical television film Killing Lincoln. His vocal talents were also utilized for the IMAX documentary Magnificent Desolation Walking on the Moon 3D.

21. Vincent Price

    

    Primarily known for his work in the horror genre, he delivered the opening introduction and closing poetry for the short film Vincent. This actor also supplied the narration for the Canadian children's television show The Hilarious House of Frightenstein.

22. Lupita Nyong'o

    

    The actress guided audiences through the Discovery Channel broadcast of the wildlife documentary series Serengeti. She later took on voiceover duties for the Apple TV documentary Who Are You Charlie Brown.

23. Ewan McGregor

    

    The Scottish actor voiced the nature documentary series Hebrides Islands on the Edge to showcase the wildlife of his home country. He chronicled his own global motorcycle journeys by narrating the travel television show Long Way Round.

24. Jeff Bridges

    

    This veteran actor provided the audio guide for the IMAX 3D documentary Dream Big: Engineering Our World. He additionally served as the storyteller for the film Lost in La Mancha, which detailed a failed attempt to make a movie about Don Quixote.

25. Pete Smith

    During the golden age of Hollywood, this producer created and narrated a long-running series of comedic short films known as Pete Smith Specialties. His distinctive speaking style guided theater audiences through hundreds of these satirical educational reels.

26. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

    

    This former professional athlete served as the executive producer and narrator for the History Channel documentary Black Patriots: Heroes of the Revolution. He previously provided the voiceover work for On the Shoulders of Giants, detailing the history of the Harlem Rens basketball team.

27. Michael Palin

    

    Following his time in Monty Python, this comedian embarked on a second career hosting and narrating travel documentaries like Around the World in 80 Days. He later took on the voiceover role for the British children's stop-motion television series Clangers.